Daniel Sirstad
Trust Behavior Over Words!
What does it mean to trust behavior over words? Behavior trumps words. If someone tells you one thing, but their behavior does not coincide with their words, believe the behavior. Jesus told a story in Matthew 21:28-31 about a man with two sons. Dad asked the first son to go to work, and the son…
Responding to False Accusations!
Responding to False Accusations. It’s hard enough to respond to true accusations, let alone false ones. Whenever I hear, “Why did you…?” or, “How come you…?” etc., my invisible antenna goes wild, and the klaxon in my mind begins to scream. I’m under attack! The default response for many is to go into defense mode…
Forgiveness & Trust
Forgiveness & Trust Is it necessary to trust again after forgiveness has been given? We know that forgiveness of others is necessary so we may maintain forgiveness in our own lives, but does that mean we have to trust the one we have forgiven again? Several years ago, I asked an older minister this question.…
The Bruised Soul
The bruised soul. I have used this analogy many times working with people. Today, I will share it with you. All of us have had a bruise on some part of our anatomy. The tendency we have when someone or something gets close to the bruise is to back away or protect that bruised area…
Don’t Stop!
Don’t stop what? Don’t stop doing what you are supposed to do. 2 Kings 13:14-19 records the story of the last act of Elisha before he died. The king of Israel, Joash, came to Elisha one last time. After Joash, following orders, shot an arrow out the window, Elisha ordered him to beat the other…
Heal Thy Marriage Intensive
DayStar Ministries is now providing another venue for the healing of marriages. Please read this to become aware of the “Heal Thy Marriage” weekend intensive coming on August 13-15, 2023. Has your marriage suffered the pain and trauma of adultery? Are you struggling to put the pieces back together with your spouse and need help…
Who is your Co-Pilot?
“Who is your Co-Pilot?” I remember this question being a big deal when I was a child. Brig. Gen. Robert L. Scott Jr., a World War II fighter ace, wrote a book in 1943 entitled “God Is My Co-Pilot.” If interested, you can read the history here. In the church setting, it was almost a…
Manipulation or Motivation?
Manipulation or Motivation? Is there a difference? Is one better than the other? Are they the same? All good questions. Let’s find out. Although manipulation and motivation start with the letter ‘m’, and there may seem to be some similarities, they are pretty different. Manipulation of people is always wrong and a negative experience for…
Apostolic Moral Purity Update
Apostolic Moral Purity is now over 27 months old. Much has happened during that time, for which we are grateful. For those not aware, Apostolic Moral Purity (AMP) became an endorsed entity of the UPCI during the October General Conference. Apostolic Moral Purity has the vision to reach every Apostolic man and woman battling pornography…
Conflict is the Gateway to Growth
Conflict is the gateway to growth? Yup! You may not want to read this as much as I don’t want to write it. I doubt it though. I so wanted to go another direction but this kept coming back. So, here goes. I’m going to take up some space by providing some definitions so as…
Sin Starts With A Distraction!
Sin starts with a distraction. The distraction is not necessarily the sin, but it potentially opens the door to sin. The definition of distraction is “a thing that prevents someone from giving full attention to something else” (Oxford University Press). I ‘randomly’ saw this quote today after I started writing this. I don’t know its…
Keep Brushing!
Keep brushing what? Well, for one, your teeth. Interestingly, some people only sporadically brush their teeth until the teeth start to hurt. Then, they get serious about brushing and flossing. But, by that time, it’s too late. A visit to the dentist is now inevitable. So, a trip or two or three to the dentist…